MEN IN SHEDS INSIDE STORY
7 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 59
Tw e nt y m i le s f r om Te mp e s t of
England, in the picturesque
Worcestershire v illage of Bay ton,
is Pembleton Motor Company. Like
all the best men-in-shed businesses,
it ’s a l mo s t i mp o s si ble t o f i nd
without spoken directions.
It’s the home of the Pembleton,
a cycle car designed by former
national hill climb champion
Phil Gregory, who was inspired
by pre-war cycle cars and vintage
motorcycles. Whisper it, but to the
uneducated it looks like a Morgan
3 Wheeler, right down to its front-
mounted V-twin engine.
The first car was based around
Citroën 2CV mechanicals and
completed in 1999. Called thePembleton Supersport, it was joined
later by a four-wheeler called the
Br o ok l a nd s. Ph i l w e nt on t o s e l l
a l mo s t 5 0 0 c a r s i n k it for m.
Four years ago his son Guy, then
aged 20, joined the business. A new
vision for the company formed in
his mind, with the result that, 18
months ago, he hatched a plan to
refresh the Pembleton’s design
and build only complete cars. That
suited Phil, who handed Guy the
r e i n s of t he bu si ne s s t o b e c ome t he
company’s specialist fabricator for
a few days a week.
Unlike Joe Mason’s jungle of
a shed, Guy’s stone-built affairis more modest and tidier but no
le s s f a s c i n at i n g. Tw o w e l l- orde r e d
production rooms are dotted with
strategically placed tool chests,
lathes and work benches and
dominated by a handful of part-
built and completed Pembletons.
Guy introduces me to the crew.
First up is Johnny, a qualified
mechanical engineer tasked
with turning Guy’s vision into
technical reality. Then there’s ◊
GUY GREGORY
PEMBLETON MOTOR COMPANY, PEMBLETON.CO.UK
creator of the Teal Bugatti lookalike.
It shared many parts with the Reliant
Kitten and Fox and had a tubular
steel chassis on which was mounted
a GRP body. Power was provided by
Reliant’s trusty, all-alloy, 850cc four-
cylinder engine producing 40bhp.
However, soon after the first
car was built, Reliant decided to
concentrate on its new SS1 sports car,
leaving Box free to develop and build
the Tempest. Cars were delivered
85% complete with the balance of
parts included for the new owner to
fit. Over the years ownership of the
Te mp e s t r i g ht s c h a n ge d h a nd s u nt i l ,
in 2011, Joe acquired them.
“I b e l ie v e a r ou nd 5 0 Te mp e s t s a nd
the little van, the Vantique, that was
s pu n f r om it , w e r e m a de ,” he s ay s.
Joe has since modified the design
to give more leg room and added front
disc brakes and electronic ignition. If
you can find one, original Tempests
start at around £6500, but Joe can
put you into a refurbished one from
£8500. Or if you have a Reliant Fox
or Kitten (a Fox is better for its lower
gearing and galvanised chassis), he
can sell you a kit from around £1500.
Excited by the possibility of
owning such a cheap and unusual
roadster, I take a Tempest for a
quick spin. The 40bhp engine has
little difficulty launching the 550kg
roadster up the hill. The gearchange
is a little vague but, if you don’t rush
it, finds the ratios reliably enough.
The rack and pinion steering is light
and precise, and the car’s turning
c i r c le i nc r e d i bl y t i g ht. It ’s a ho ot i n
t he b e s t Toa d of Toa d Ha l l f a sh ion ,
which is what it’s all about.
Rights to the^ Tempest^
Roadster^ design^ are^
now owned^ by^ Mason
The Pembleton
three-wheeler costs
from £26,394